Museum Director Jenny Lindsay would like to make a wall of local legends in the History of McDuffie County exhibit, and she is putting out a request for stories that are 25 years old or older.

"They can be true, partially true, or they don't have to be true," Ms. Lindsay said. "They can be funny, scary, sad, anything. We want to evoke emotion."

The stories may be typed and brought in or mailed to the museum at 121 Main St., Thomson, or they can be e-mailed to mcduffiemuseum@yahoo.com.

Ms. Lindsay said the idea came when a resident visited the museum and was telling her a story about an aunt who was walking down the road and saw a ghost. But the ghost turned out to be a drunk man on a runaway donkey.

Another story she's heard came out of Boneville, a story about soldiers putting their names on their spent gunshells and throwing them out to ladies as they marched through town. The legend has it that two marriages resulted from that incident.

"And I would love to hear the one about the judge who stopped a train," Ms. Lindsay said. "I've heard bits and pieces, but not the whole story. So, if anyone knows it, please come tell me."

To help the stories come alive, Ms. Lindsay has enlisted the help of the McDuffie Arts Council. Artists will draw or paint illustrations of the stories that are chosen for the wall exhibit.

"Not every story will be displayed, Ms. Lindsay said. "But it will be nice to have a log to pull from and hopefully eventually make books of legends of McDuffie County."

Also, Ms. Lindsay said, the museum is seeking the histories of local churches for the churches section of the McDuffie County exhibit. She said a lot of churches already have their story written, and they can just bring it in. Or they can simply write out the basic details, such as when, how and why they were founded and the name of the first pastor.

"Churches are so personal that I'd rather the church people tell the story themselves," Ms. Lindsay said.